Happy Kids Therapy - Heather Vukelich

Happy Kids Therapy - Heather Vukelich Happy Kids Therapy specializes in oral placement, feeding and articulation therapy. It is specific to people with muscle tone, strength and sensory differences.

The owner, Heather Vukelich is a certified Talktools Instructor.

06/19/2026

Preslee completed her speech therapy intensive last week, and we are so proud of the work she put in. 💙💛

During her intensive, we focused on helping her learn the motor patterns necessary for clearer speech using:

• oral placement strategies
• vowel elongation
• facial prompting
• meaningful vocabulary
• lengthening utterances using phrase-level reading
• repetition through play and songs

All of these strategies in combination create a rich environment for increased sound development and speech production.

In combination, they are very effective when treating a child with Down syndrome. 💙💛

A big part of Preslee’s progress is the support she will have at home. Both her mom and dad showed up to learn this week. They left equipped to carry these strategies into their everyday routines at home. They both sat side by side with me during the week, practicing AM and PM, learning how to effectively and lovingly work with their daughter.

The incorporation of parents into the therapy room is so necessary when treating speech, feeding, and oral sensory-motor development.

We’re so proud of you, Preslee! ❤️

Do you want more focused support for your child’s speech?

Happy Kids Therapy intensives give families targeted therapy, parent coaching, and practical tools for home.

It’s one of the most thorough and best ways you can support your child’s speech development. 🙌

We only have a few spots left before June of 2027. Comment “INTENSIVES” to learn more and reserve your spot today! 💌

06/16/2026

So many children with Down Syndrome learn to swallow food before they’ve fully mastered chewing.

You might notice:

• Swallowing food before it’s fully chewed
• Gagging or choking
• Constipation
• Messy meals
• Avoiding harder textures
• Refusing foods altogether

But often, this isn’t “picky eating.”
It’s an underdeveloped skill that a child is compensating for.

Many of our kids are incredibly intuitive. They can sense when a food doesn’t feel safe or manageable in their mouth, so they begin choosing foods that are soft or dissolvable, making them easier to manage.

This is why we work on tongue tip lateralization — helping the tongue move food over to the back molars where chewing happens.

In this clip, Tyleigh is practicing repetitive back molar chewing. Her face is stabilized forward so that her tongue can learn to reach the back molars and stay there while chewing.

A simple way to support this at home:

• Sit in front of your child at eye level.
• Use a mirror between you.
• Apply the facial hold.
• Feed a safe food repetitively to the back molars.
• Ensure the tongue tip stretches to the molar while chewing.
• Take turns to encourage family involvement, less pressure on your child.

Starting meals like this can create big changes over time. Slowly encourage your child to place food on the back molars themselves too! 💙💛

Comment FEEDING CLASS for more info!

06/12/2026

Practicing speech at home doesn’t have to feel complicated — sometimes the most meaningful practice happens during the songs your child already loves. ✨

Preslee is working on “Ring Around the Rosie,” and this sweet little song gives us so many chances to practice lip rounding, vowels and early sound production in a fun, playful way.

Here’s a simple tip you can try at home:

Gently pinch your child’s lips into a pucker to cue lip rounding for sounds like /w/ or /r/. You can also place your thumb under the chin to help open the jaw for an “ah” sound.

Then slowly model the song:

“Riiiing around the roooosie…”

Stretch the vowels, use gentle facial prompts, and give your child time to watch, feel, and vocalize.

These small cues help your child’s mouth learn the movement pattern more quickly — and the more meaningful repetitions they get, the stronger that motor plan becomes.

Try saying it 10 times in 5 minutes during play.

Practice makes permanent — and everyday songs can become powerful practice moments. 🤍

What’s one song, one name, or one phrase with the /r/ or /w/ sound that your child already loves to say?

Comment below and practice it today!

06/09/2026

She isn’t just practicing a sound — she’s practicing her brother’s name. 🥹

Preslee’s brother’s name is Odin, and right now she says “Nonin.”

Family names are some of the most meaningful and high-frequency words in a child’s vocabulary.

That’s why we chose Odin as a goal word for Preslee. She’s highly motivated to say it, and she probably says his name 100 times a day already. That’s working smarter, not harder!

Also… the sounds in his name are early-emerging! This makes it a perfect goal word.

When we practice words that children already want and need to say, we give them more opportunities to be understood in the moments that matter most.

This is your reminder: practice does not have to be random.

Start with the words your child loves most:

👭 people
🍔 foods
🧸 toys
🗣️ phrases

Meaningful words create meaningful progress.

It was an honor to work with Preslee and her family this week and peek into their life and routines.

What’s one meaningful word your child says — or is working so hard to say?

Let me help you break it down!

Comment below 💙💛

05/04/2026

There’s a moment every parent feels… ✨
When things start to click and you realize your child is capable of more than you imagined 🤍

In this journey, it’s not just about the sounds or the skills
It’s about confidence, connection, and breakthroughs that once felt out of reach 💫

Hearing a parent reflect on that shift, the before and after, is everything 🥹

Because progress doesn’t just change a child’s communication
It changes how a family experiences the world 🌎

If you’re in it right now, keep going
The small moments are building something big 🤍

✨ Comment SPEECH and we’ll send you the details for our next class

04/30/2026

The morning after his evaluation… and Waylon is already using a new word 🤍

“Throw” (WOH) didn’t exist in his vocabulary yesterday. Today, it’s beginning to take shape. 👏🏼

This is what happens when intentional therapy meets real-life moments. When practice that feels natural, supportive, and deeply connected (with vineyard views as the backdrop 😉🍇).

Watch how mom stays with him, prompting and repeating. 🗣️

This is how new words become part of a child’s world… through meaningful repetition. 🎤

✨ Intensive therapy creates the breakthrough and gives families the tools to carry it forward.

Comment INTENSIVE for more details! 💙💛

04/28/2026

Meet Lisa Montoya, mom to a child with Down syndrome and a seasoned professional in special education + behavior, now leading our new Happy Habits 4-week program inside the Happy Kids Community ✨💙💛

This week, she walked us through habit stacking, working smarter, not harder, and seamlessly weaving your child’s speech goals into everyday routines. This isn’t about adding more to your plate, it’s about integrating meaningful progress into what you’re already doing! 👏🏼👏🏼

Our next Happy Habits session is Friday, May 12 at 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST 🗓️ If you’ve taken Speech Class, check your email from the past few days for your free access code 📩 If you haven’t joined us yet, now is the perfect time, comment SPEECH CLASS and we’ll send you the details 💌

We’re so grateful to support families on a deeper, more intentional speech clarity journey ❤️

Address

Town And Country Drive
Danville, CA
94526

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12024256874

Website

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